


A Lesson in Dancing

by DragonReine



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Dancing, Dancing Lessons, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:09:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3242480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonReine/pseuds/DragonReine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Noiz has to learn how to dance, and Koujaku subtly teaches a lesson about feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson in Dancing

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this post on the otp-ot3-imagines Tumblr](http://otp-ot3-imagines.tumblr.com/post/109252427344/imagine-your-otp-taking-dance-lessons-for-their), where Person A and B takes dance lessons, with Person A being far more enthusiastic and Person B going "nope nope nope", but Person B ends up enjoying it far more. 
> 
> I kind of imagined this as set in a distant future of the [A Series of Firsts](http://archiveofourown.org/series/169361) anime AU, but it's not necessary to read that series in order to understand this story.

"This is ridiculous."

"Ah, but whose idea was it to accept that invitation to  _that_  party in the first place? Especially since you don’t like dancing."

Noiz gave Koujaku a narrow-eyed glare. "I wouldn’t have danced, regardless of what the guests are expected to do."

"And be rude to your hostess? Don’t be silly."

Their dance instructor cleared her throat. "If you two are quite finished," she said, her expression and tone as unperturbed as ever. "Shall we try the steps again, but with the music on?"

"Yes, please," Koujaku said cheerfully.

Noiz sighed and placed his hands where he’d been told to put them; one on Koujaku’s shoulder, the other in Koujaku’s hand. "You’re enjoying this too much."

"I always enjoy spending time with you," Koujaku smoothly replied, his visible eye twinkling with humor, and Noiz resisted the urge to kick Koujaku in the shin, especially once the lilting music rose from the speakers.

Noiz did his best to follow the beat of the music, shifting with Koujaku across the polished surface of dance floor, and as far as he can tell, he did each step correctly. Yet as the music went on, Koujaku’s expression grew more and more irritated, before he abruptly rolled his eyes and halted, nearly making Noiz trip over his feet. "Stop the music."

The music cut off, leaving a ringing silence in its wake. Noiz blinked, and then frowned up at Koujaku, who was giving him a look of annoyance. "What?"

"Could you at least  _try?_ " Koujaku snapped. "You’re still not doing it right."

That accusation stung more than it should. Noiz crossed his arms and glared right back. "That’s stupid. I did everything exactly like how it was taught."

"Yes, Noiz-sama did every step perfectly," their instructor chimed in, and Noiz was about to give Koujaku a triumphant smile when she followed up with, " _Too_  perfectly, in fact. You need not be so exact in your movements, Noiz-sama, it makes you too stiff."

"Yes,  _that,_ " Koujaku exclaimed. "I don't feel like I'm dancing with you, Noiz. If I wanted to dance with an unfeeling robot I might as well just go out and buy one."

Noiz stared at Koujaku, feeling his blood roar in his ears, his mind whirling with confusion. His chest hurt; it made him feel a little sick. "I don't understand," he said, meaning it. He did everything as he was supposed to; why was it still wrong?

Koujaku looked at him, still frowning, but there was none of the anger that Noiz had felt earlier. After a long moment of silence, Koujaku turned to the instructor. "Could you leave us for a moment?"

"Of course, Koujaku-sama. I will be outside. Do call me when you are ready to start again." The instructor bowed, very proper and exact, and left the room.

Koujaku sighed and ran a hand through his hair, briefly lifting up his fringe and exposing the tattoo beneath. "I'm sorry," he said, voice quiet. "I didn't mean to...that was uncalled for, and I was an idiot for saying it."

It hurt to look at Koujaku, so Noiz dropped his gaze to the floor and stared down at their feet. "You're not an idiot."

"I am," Koujaku said. A hand curled under Noiz's chin and tilted his head up; he sighed, and reluctantly met Koujaku's solemn gaze. "Noiz, I didn't mean to imply that you were unfeeling. I know you, more than I know anyone else. You're not a robot, or anything even remotely close to it."

Noiz shrugged, not even sure if he should say anything. "I guess I'm just not able to dance."

"You  _can._  Like the instructor said, you did every step perfectly. You just forgot one important thing." Koujaku leaned in and gave Noiz a quick peck on his forehead. "I'll show you. Just let me go call Clara-sensei back in."

 _He forgot something?_  Noiz frowned, his brain running over what they've learned over the past couple of weeks. "What important thing?" he asked Koujaku, when the instructor—Clara—was back in the studio, and Koujaku had returned to stand in front of him,

Koujaku smiled, soft and warm. "Your heart," he said, and with that completely unhelpful answer, he called for Clara to put on the music again.

More confused than ever, Noiz wordlessly followed Koujaku's prompting to place his hands in the right places. "What has my heart have to do with any of this?"

"Everything," Koujaku replied, fingers stroking along Noiz's spine as his hand came to rest on Noiz's lower back. "Just follow my lead."

 _Aren't I already doing that?_  Noiz bit back the retort, and as the music started, he gave up and just followed the steps. "How is that supposed to help?" he grumbled. "We haven't changed anything."

Koujaku chuckled. "Not yet, but now we are. Can you feel it? My hand on your back?"

Noiz blinked. Now that Koujaku mentioned it...Koujaku's hand was spread over his back, a strong and supportive weight, warming through the thin layer of his T-shirt. "Yeah."

"And this?" Noiz felt the fingers that were holding his hand tighten. "Your hand in mine?"

Noiz swallowed. Koujaku felt too close all of a sudden, his face inches away; his voice had dropped to  _that pitch_ , that low rumble he only spoke In when they were about to kiss. "Yes," he breathed.

"Good," Koujaku said, almost purring, and Noiz could feel Koujaku's hand on his back pulling him in, drawing them even closer, reminding Noiz that Koujaku was just that much taller, just that more well-built. That beneath that façade of "frivolous hairstylist", Koujaku was a formidable fighter, and Noiz was enveloped,  _surrounded_  by the warm steel of his strength.

It was a strength that might had left a lesser man cowering, but Noiz could feel no fear, only a growing excitement as he became more aware of the connection between them, carried through the heat of Koujaku's hand as it rested, heavy, on his back. That connection was in the effortless strength of Koujaku's fingers as they held his, in the graceful control when Koujaku guided him through each sweeping turn, cloth rustling as their thighs briefly brushed against each other with every other step.

It reminded Noiz of the times when they lay in bed together, when Koujaku would smile at him and hold him close, every touch and every look reminding Noiz that he was  _cherished._  That he was  _loved._

They may not be alone, and they were far more clothed than they usually were during such times and nowhere near a bed, but Koujaku was giving him that exact same look, that little quirked smile Noiz knew was reserved for him and him alone. And just like that, their dance took on another dimension; they were moving  _together_ , gliding across the floor, their bodies well matched, and their hearts completely in sync with one another as they shared in the pleasure of holding each other close.

Noiz felt it,  _knew it._  Delighted in it as he looked into Koujaku's face as they whirled; the music had fallen away, almost forgotten as he let his eyes, his mind, his body, focus solely on Koujaku, on the both of them, and the constant attraction that pulsed between them, warm and alive and making Noiz feel  _alive_. They were partners, lovers, and they were here, together.

Nothing else mattered.

The music faded, and then died. Slowly, they swirled to a halt.

Noiz felt breathless, his heart beating fast and loud in his chest. He couldn't find the words to describe the depth of the emotions—exhilaration, shock, wonder,  _joy_ —that he felt. He could only stare at Koujaku, hoping his eyes reflected how he felt, and that Koujaku could read it.

Koujaku grinned, broad and happy in a way that told Noiz that  _yes, he did see, _, then his lashes lowered as he raised Noiz's hand to his lips and kissed the back of Noiz's fingers.__

The odd, gentlemanly gesture was so typical of Koujaku, and yet Noiz couldn't help the slight warmth he could feel blooming on his cheeks.

Koujaku's eyelid rose; their gazes met, and held. The moment stretched between them.

Noiz felt like, for that instant, they were the only people in the room.

Then there was the sound of clapping, and reality returned with that abrupt wash of sound. "Bravo," Clara said. "That was an excellent dance."

"It was, wasn't it?" Koujaku said, his tone cheerfully casual in a way that made it seem like a rhetorical question, but his expression, his smile as he looked at Noiz with a darkly sensual heat, made it anything but 'casual'.

Noiz licked his lips, saw that heat flare as his tongue darted out.

Maybe he should accept more invitations to other such parties. He didn't care if they were frivolous and silly; it would be worth it, as long as they got to dance like that again.


End file.
